


Honesty is the Best Policy

by sweetkpopfan



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Comedy, Fluff, M/M, Nohyuck, Noren, Romance, classic cliche, jaemin is the only one with common sense in this story, markhyuck, markren, pretending to be in relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 02:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12049818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetkpopfan/pseuds/sweetkpopfan
Summary: In an attempt to get Mark’s attention, Donghyuck thought it would be a good idea to pretend he was in a relationship with Jeno. Things backfire when Mark and Renjun, who happens to be Jeno’s crush, started becoming very flirty too.





	Honesty is the Best Policy

**Author's Note:**

> honestly this pretty much sums up all of the noren, markhyuck, markren and nohyuck ships lately XD This is a word dump and errors are probably everywhere and I need sleep but NCT Dream ships seem to be keeping me awake

                _“Lee Donghyuck.”_

_“What?” Donghyuck stirred from his seat. His senior, and the high school heart throb Mark Lee, was standing at the door of his classroom. He had his sleeves rolled up, neck tie loose, shirt slightly untucked and his hair was messy. Not messy like I-rolled-out-of-bed-and-was-too-lazy-to-use-a-comb messy, but rather I-just-finished-playing-basketball-and-there-was-sweat-dripping-all-over-my-toned-body-so-I-tried-to-wash-up kind of messy._

_You know, the hot kind of messy._

_“Get out here.” His voice was stern and he slammed a hand against the door before ducking out. The whole class stared at Donghyuck as if he had just been arrested. Mark Lee was the coolest senior in NCT High. No one messes with Mark Lee. No one._

_Donghyuck stepped out of class and was immediately pinned to the wall outside of class. Mark’s strong hands were gripping his shoulders, face so close Donghyuck could smell the pizza he had for lunch in his breath._

_“I have had it with you. I can’t take it anymore.”_

_“What are you talking about?” Donghyuck squeaked out. He was under Mark’s spell, suddenly feeling so small and vulnerable, yet so fucking turned on at the same time._

_“You. You…you…” Mark ran a hand through his hair, entire body tense with frustration. “I can’t take seeing you like this. I can’t get you out of my mind. Every time I close my eyes I think about you.”_

_“Mark…”_

_“I want you. I want you so badly.”_

_“Then…” Donghyuck’s hands reached out to touch Mark’s waist. “Kiss me.”_

_Mark laid a heated kiss on Donghyuck’s lips, arms wrapped around him so tight as if he was afraid he would just dissipate into the air. Donghyuck’s lips were on fire, his heart was electrified, body to body, hands on hands, hands in hair, hands everywhere…it felt like a dream. A perfect dream._

                “Lee Donghyuck!!” A ruler suddenly came out of nowhere and slammed against Donghyuck’s table, jolting the teenager from his ‘perfect dream’. He looked up to find a very angry Kim Doyoung, his science teacher, shaking his head and pointing the ruler at him.

                “What have I told you about daydreaming in my class?”

                “That it’s like sleeping but with your eyes open?” Donghyuck winced when Doyoung slammed the ruler against his table once again.

                “Since you like it so much, maybe you can continue your little dream in detention.”

                It was a dream all right, except it was a perfect _nightmare_.

********************

                “Dude,” Jaemin sighed as he took a bite out of his banana at lunch time. “This is the fifth time this month you were caught daydreaming and sent to detention. Are you thinking about Mark Lee again?”

                “No I wasn’t.”

                “Look at me when you lie.” Jaemin smirked when Donghyuck could not bring himself to look at his best friend’s face.

                “I can’t help it. I swear I don’t know how these things happen!” Donghyuck whined. “I just…it’s just…”

                “This crush on Mark has gone from cute to unbearable to what is now incredibly pathetic.” Jaemin shook his head. “Why don’t you just tell Mark how you really feel?”

                “Did you fall down in the tub and have a concussion?” Donghyuck stared at him as if he had 7 eyes and two left ears. “Mark Lee is the hottest and most popular senior in our school. He would never be interested in me.”

                “Why not? You guys are good friends right?”

                “We’re neighbours.” Donghyuck enunciated carefully. “Neighbours, as in people who happen to live next to each other and carpool to school. That is different from friends.”

                “Yeah, because friends don’t secretly peep out the window when their neighbours are changing in their rooms.”

                “Fuck off Jaemin.” Donghyuck sighed.

                “Hyuck, I heard Crappy Kim gave you detention again.” Jeno, a fellow friend in their inner circle said as he sat down at their lunch table.

                “He did. That stuck-up piece of shit needs to get that dildo out of his ass.”

                “He was daydreaming about Mark again.” Jaemin said.

                “Seriously?” Jeno laughed.

                “It’s not that funny.” Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the way your eyes do that stupid smiley thing when Renjun walked by today.” He spat at Jeno bitterly.

                “You know what you should do?” Jeno said, unwrapping his sandwich for lunch. “You should pretend you are dating someone else.”

                “What? How would that work?”

                “It’s a classic cliché. It makes them jealous, and then they would want you more. It always work on TV.”

                “That is ridiculous.” Jaemin scoffed. “That has got to be one of the most childish, lame, pathetic…”

                “It just might work.” Donghyuck tapped his bottom lip, grinning wider and wider.

                “Hyuck, now you are the one who hit your head on the tub. Don’t…” Jaemin tried to talk but Donghyuck was no longer paying attention.

                “Who do you think I should pretend to be dating?”

                “I don’t know.” Jeno shrugged, wiping the ketchup off his lips. “Someone on the same basketball team as he is.”

                “Aren’t you on the basketball team?”

                “Hyuck, you don’t mean…” Jaemin stared at Donghyuck, then at Jeno, then at Donghyuck and back at Jeno again. Jeno looked like all the blood was just drained from his face while Donghyuck’s grin grew wider and wider, his smile turning almost devilish.

                Jaemin decided he needed better friends.

********************

                “You owe me a year’s worth of pizzas, hamburgers and movie tickets for this.” Jeno sighed, bending down to tie the shoelaces on his sneakers. NCT High’s locker room smelled absolutely disgusting, and that was before basketball practice even started. Mark was nowhere to be seen at the moment. The team members were eyeing Donghyuck carefully. No student who wasn’t on the basketball team had any business being there during practice.

                Unless there was something going on between them.

                “Just shut up and pretend to flirt with me or I’ll tell the whole world about that time you wrote poems about Renjun on the back of Crappy Kim’s homework assignment and sent it in by accident.” Donghyuck rolled his eyes and leaned against the locker next to Jeno’s batting his eyelids. “You look handsome in your basketball uniform.”

                “You once told me I looked like a shrivelled up walrus with jaundice.”

                “Because nobody in their right mind would choose grey and yellow for a sports uniform.”

                “You are impossible.”

                “Babe,” Donghyuck cooed a little loudly, making sure the other team members standing a few feet away could hear him. “Tell me you love me.”

                “No.”

                “Then say I look good.”

                “No.”

                “Say something nice!!”

                “Your crush is looking hot today.”

                Donghyuck whipped his head around and there he was. Mark Lee, the most perfect human being in modern existence, walked into the locker rooms, giving the team members a high five or a fist bump.

                “Hey Donghyuck, hey Jeno.” Mark smiled. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

                “Oh, well I just thought I would come by and wish Jeno good luck for his practice.” Donghyuck smiled sweetly, hooking an arm in Jeno’s.

                “Well that’s nice of you, even if it’s just regular practice.” Mark nodded politely, opening up his locker to stuff his things in. “How long have you guys been going out?”

                “Just this…” Donghyuck elbowed Jeno to get him to shut up.

                “Two weeks.”

                “Two weeks? I didn’t know that.”

                “Neither did I-ow!” Jeno bent over in pain as Donghyuck dug his elbow into Jeno’s rib cage again.

                “If you want you can come and sit in for our practice today.”

                “Uhm Mark, would Coach Jung let him?” Jeno asked.

                “I don’t see why not. I’ll just ask him first but I think it should be fine.” Mark stripped himself out of his school uniform to change into his basketball jersey, exposing his upper body to the air. Donghyuck dug his nails into Jeno’s arm and Jeno screamed silently in pain.

                “What are you trying to do, draw blood?!?”

                “Shut up!”

                “Come on team!” Mark clapped his hands loudly. “Let’s get on the court!”

                “Good luck, _sweetheart_.”

                “You owe me another year’s worth of pizzas for that.”

                “Whatever you say, _baby_.”

                “Oh shut up.”

********************

                Donghyuck had never sat in for one of their practices before. He didn’t even go to see their matches against other schools, but when the love of your life is out there, moving on the court with dexterity and agility, strong arms muscles covered in sweat and hair pushed back as he dribbled the ball, looking very much like a panther in the field, basketball suddenly becomes the most interesting sport in the world.

                And of course he was talking about Mark Lee.

                “Wooo!!” Donghyuck clapped loudly when Mark scored an easy three-pointer during practice. “Go Mark Lee!!”

                “You’re supposed to be cheering for me!” Jeno gestured to himself while rolling his eyes. “I’m your boyfriend.”

                “Oh yeah.”

                Jeno could have tossed his sneaker right at Donghyuck if it wasn’t his turn to make a shot. Coach Jung tossed him the ball and he focused his aim. He made it in with little to no effort and Donghyuck clapped loudly, cheering at the top of his lungs.

                “Go baby!!!! That’s my man!!”

                “Oh god.” If Jeno had known how embarrassing Lee Donghyuck was as a boyfriend, he would have never said yes to this ridiculous stunt. Donghyuck flashed him a smile and a blew him a kiss. Jeno tried to pretend he didn’t see anything, but he saw Mark watching them from the corner of his eye. He blew a kiss back and figured he could throw up in the bathroom later once practice was over.

                “I should come to your practices more often.” Donghyuck grinned, helping Jeno pack his things after practice was over. “Mark’s jersey lifted six times today!”

                “Is that what you were doing? Eyeing my captain instead of focusing on your sweetheart?”

                “Why should I? Not like you were hot or anything?”

                “Hey Jeno,” Mark patted him on the back. “Great practice today. You were better than usual.”

                “Must be the support.” Jeno turned back to glare at Donghyuck, who was just beaming innocently.

                “My babe was the best today.”

                “He was.” Mark laughed. The way Mark laughed reminded Donghyuck of angels singing a choir in church.

                “Practice is over. Let’s go babe.” Jeno pulled Donghyuck’s hand. “You’re taking me out for ice cream.”

                “I am?”

                “Because we’re dating and you owe me for being a piece of shit boyfriend.”

********************

                “How has the charade been coming?” Jaemin asked Jeno and Donghyuck after a week of pretending to be in love. It had gotten so much easier since the only time they had to do it was during basketball practice. Donghyuck would pretend to be texting Jeno in the car ride to school or back home and would very casually slip his name in during conversations. You know, to constantly remind your crush that you are pretending to be dating your best friend.

                “Nothing.” Donghyuck sighed. “A week of calling Jeno babe, boyfriend and sweetheart and nothing. Not a peep from Mark.”

                “It’s not a joyride for me either.” Jeno rolled his eyes.

                “Say that again and I’m not baking you those cupcakes to bring to practice.”

                “You weren’t going to bake them. You were going to buy some cheap chocolate ones and pretend you made them. You were going to brush your forehead and be like ’I slave for you’ in your usual dramatic fashion.” Jeno mocked, brushing his forehead like he ran a marathon. Donghyuck kicked his knee under the lunch table.

                “I still think it was easier to just tell him.” Jaemin sighed. “I really don’t…”

                “Hang on,” Donghyuck interrupted him. “Who is that with Mark?”

                Jeno sputtered out his soda over the table like a broken water fountain. Right there, sitting next to Mark and laughing at what he said was the beautiful Chinese boy Huang Renjun, otherwise known as the object of Jeno’s fantasies and the muse for his poorly written poems.

                “What is he doing with him??!” Jeno spat out, wiping soda off his chin with his sleeve. “He has no business hanging out with Mark!”

                “Are you saying Mark is not attractive enough for Renjun?”

                “This is why you should have just told him!” Jaemin wanted to pull his hair out from frustration. “You had to go and put up with this lame act for a week and now look what happened. Your crush is going out with your boyfriend’s crush.”

                “They are not boyfriends yet. At least I don’t think so.” Donghyuck watched Renjun and Mark chat away happily. Renjun was a really pretty boy with an adorable snaggletooth. The way he smiled made you feel all warm and happy and his hair was a nice shade of soft brown. No wonder Jeno was in love with him.

                “I don’t believe this.” They watched Mark and Renjun get up from the table and leave the cafeteria. The way Mark and Renjun brushed shoulders did not escape the basketball player’s eyes. He looked down at his lunch and suddenly they just looked like pits of despair. “What if they really are dating?”

                “Well, I heard Mark asked Renjun to go to the spring dance this weekend at school.” Jaemin said.

                “What?! I was going to ask Renjun to the dance!”

                “How could you ask him when we’re dating you jerk?!” Donghyuck kicked Jeno again.

                “Yeah well he doesn’t know that!”

                “But Mark does!”

                “Both of you shut up!” Jaemin groaned. “Both of you are not asking anybody. Mark and Renjun are going to the dance together. So you failed okay, your plan is screwed.”

                “I was planning to go to that dance, hopefully with Mark.” Donghyuck pouted. “There is no way I can show my face at that dance now.”

                “Me neither.

                “Hold up,” Jaemin said. “There is no way you two are not coming. I stayed up almost every night this month, dealed with Principal Moon and his cheap ass, tried to stop Chenle from ordering grilled lobsters for dinner and shopped around with Jisung for unicorn streamers, all for this dance. You guys are coming.”

                “We don’t have dates.” Donghyuck said.

                “Aren’t you two dating?”

                Jeno and Donghyuck looked at each other before scowling and banging their heads on the table.

                “Shit.”

********************

                Dances were supposed to be fun, but Donghyuck and Jeno were having an absolutely miserable time. They could not stop staring at Mark and Renjun, who spent the whole night glued by their hips, talking, laughing and whispering in each other’s ears. They were so focused on feeling shitty that they didn’t notice or appreciate Jaemin coming up from behind.

                “Will you please stop sulking around? You’re bringing down the room.” Jaemin scolded. “This is Fantasy Night not Depressed Circle of Doom.”

                “I just can’t stop thinking about Renjun.” Jeno sighed for the millionth time that night. He watched Renjun dance happily in his spot to Bruno Mars, earning a fond smile from Mark. How he wished he could be Mark, smiling and cheering for Renjun as he did his little funny dance.

                “No, Jaemin’s right.” Donghyuck gulped down his juice like it was a whisky shot. “We should be enjoying ourselves. Jaemin has worked really hard for this night and we should celebrate his hard work.”

                “Thank you,” Jaemin smiled, hugging his best friend. “Finally you guys are listening to me. You spent this whole…”

                “Hey,” Mark and Renjun walked up to the three of them, bodies swaying to the music. “Great party eh?”

                “Yeah it’s cool.” Donghyuck quickly wrapped an arm around Jeno’s waist. “Jaemin did a good job planning it.”

                “Do we have any slow songs coming up?” Renjun asked Jaemin.

                “I think we do. Why do you ask?”

                “Nothing I…” Renjun blushed cutely, leaning a little more into Mark’s chest. “I just think it would be a nice change of pace from the fast songs.”

                “Bring on the slow songs, then my boyfriend and I can dance.”

                “Jeno, you hate slow songs.” Donghyuck stared at him.

                “No I don’t. I love them. Since when have I hated them?”

                “Well Renjun is a really good dancer.” Mark said, putting an arm around his partner. “You should see him...”

                “Okay that’s it!!” Jaemin raised his hands in the air. “I have had it!”

                “Wait what are you…. JAEMIN!!!” Donghyuck screamed loudly as Jaemin pushed all four of them from the dance floor to a nearby supply closet. He pushed all four into the tight space and shut the lights, locking the knob from outside.

                “NA JAEMIN!!!”

                “Jaemin!!! Open the door!!!”

                “I am not opening the door until you guys stop this stupid charade and confess!!”

                “What are you talking about?!?!?!” Mark banged on the door with his fist.

                “Donghyuck and Jeno are not going out!” Jaemin yelled back. “They are just pretending because Jeno has a crush on Renjun and Donghyuck has a crush on Mark!!”

                “You have a crush on me?” Renjun stopped his knocking and turned to Jeno. Even in the dark, Jeno could see Renjun’s blush on his face.

                “I do.” Jeno stammered. “It’s…it’s been quite a while.”

                “And you like me?” Mark asked Donghyuck.

                “Well it doesn’t matter now does it?” Donghyuck spat out bitterly. “You’re dating Renjun now.”

                There was a heavy silence in the air until Renjun broke the silence. “Actually…Mark and I aren’t dating.”

                “What?!” Jeno and Donghyuck gasped in shock.

                “I asked him to come with me to the dance because I heard you were dating Jeno and well…” Mark rubbed his head sheepishly. “I thought it would make you jealous.”

                “Wait, let me get this straight.” Donghyuck said, still not quite believing the mess they had gotten themselves into. “You pretended to date Renjun to make me jealous?”

                “Yes. The only reason I said yes was because I thought I could make Jeno jealous too.” Renjun confessed.

                “So you like me and pretended to date Mark who really likes Donghyuck who is pretending to date me? When he also likes Mark and I also like you?”

                “I guess so.”

                A few seconds of pregnant silence in the air passed until the four boys burst out laughing. They couldn’t believe the absurdity of it all. Imagine going through all this trouble just to find out the feelings were mutual.

                “What kind of mess is this?” Mark laughed so hard he could feel tears springing from his eyes.

                “I guess we should have just been honest to each other from the beginning. We didn’t need this charade.”

                Suddenly, the doors opened and Jaemin stood outside, sighing contently.

                “That was exactly what I said TWO WEEKS AGO!” He rolled his eyes. “You two should have listened to me!!!”

                “Is that a slow song?” Renjun asked, listening to the soft melody escaping the speakers. Jeno quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the closet.

                “Let’s dance.”

                “But I thought you didn’t like slow songs.”

                “I like you though.” Jeno smiled. Renjun smiled back and the two of them disappeared onto the dance floor.

                “Will you two be joining them?” Jaemin asked, still holding the door open.

                “In a minute.” Mark grinned, his eyes trained on Donghyuck’s heated face. “I think I could use some privacy with Donghyuck.”

                “Fine, but just to let you know you’re not the only ones who wants to make out in the supply closet. There are at least 7 different couples after you.” Mark closed the door and waited for Jaemin to lock the door. He pulled Donghyuck in his arms and kissed him. Donghyuck couldn’t believe it. His dreams were finally coming true. That daydream that started this whole mess. It’s coming true.

                “You know, I had a fantasy like this once.” Donghyuck said when they pulled apart for air.

                “We were making out in a supply closet?” Mark asked, tightening his grip on Donghyuck’s waist.

                “No,” Donghyuck smiled. “It doesn’t matter. This is so much better.”

**Author's Note:**

> why do I always feel the need to write fluffy stories about my OTPs only so late at night smh
> 
> Anyways let me know if you guys like this! Feel free to leave kudos and comments!


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